Geothermal Startup Will Put Carbon Dioxide to Good Use

March 23, 2011

Geothermal power holds enormous opportunities to provide affordable, clean energy that avoids greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2). That's because geothermal technologies rely on heat found under the Earth's surface to generate uninterrupted, low-cost renewable energy that is virtually emissions-free. Now, one Utah-based startup is working on an innovative project that could make geothermal power even more beneficial.

In February, GreenFire Energy began work to demonstrate a process that would use CO2 to harness geothermal energy to make electricity. What is more, the technology has the potential to add carbon sequestration—not to mention reduced water consumption—to the benefits already associated with geothermal power. The idea originally emerged several years ago from the work of geoscientist Donald Brown at DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory. Karsten Preuss and others at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have since advanced the theory. See the Energy Blog post.